CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART | PHOTO BY TOM LITTLE / COURTESY CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART

While in New York earlier this month, I asked a friend how I should spend an afternoon. She mentioned a few exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; I replied that I actually had never been to the Met.

She was so stunned. I felt culturally shamed. I promised to go the next day.

On my visit, I saw masterpieces from every era of modern history. I wandered into one room and encountered “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” which I didn’t know was more than 12 feet tall. In another, I was surrounded by the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. I wandered through recreated Egyptian tombs, Greek temples and early-American sitting rooms.

First, though, I had to get there.

This involved getting on the wrong subway, getting off that subway and deciding to walk through Central Park, reminding myself that Central Park (while lovely) doesn’t have straight paths, getting briefly lost in Central Park, realizing that my short walk was actually close to 2 miles, going in the wrong entrance of the Met, finding the right entrance, struggling to find the admission bank, losing my admission ticket twice, finding that the coat room was full, going downstairs to locate another satellite coat room that was also full, forgetting to pick up a map and navigating randomly for three hours — dodging a holiday crush of patrons all the while.

I left not because I had seen all I wanted to, but because I was exhausted.

This isn’t to scoff at the Met; it’s a remarkable and endlessly fascinating place that you absolutely should visit. It’s just a bit of an inconvenience — the kind of excursion that will likely take over a full day of a New York trip and leave you very tired long before evening sets in.

I often visit museums, from grand institutions to out-of-the-way curiosities, while traveling. Despite the frequent hassle of doing so, it’s a normal tourist activity — the natural sort of thing to do when somewhere else.

I’ve realized, though, that I’m neglecting the museums and exhibitions at home. I’ve probably spent more time in far-off cultural institutions than those a neighborhood or two away.

The Carnegie Museum of Art constantly punches above its weight, with a collection and exhibitions to rival those in march larger cities — and its neighbor, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is a delight to explore. My last visit to the Mattress Factory was moving and lingered in my mind for days. You could visit Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens once a month and find something new every time; the same is true for the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium and the National Aviary.

I could name a dozen more. It’s easy to visit these places only when otherwise compelled, like when a family member visits or a friend wants to attend a particular event. But they are worthy of our attention at all times — and are particularly enjoyable for a quiet afternoon alone, spent unwinding and contemplating the city’s treasures.

I have, therefore, committed to a purely enjoyable New Year’s resolution: to be at a local institution at least once a month in 2025. Doing so is convenient, usually inexpensive and always refreshing. Why wouldn’t I? (This also goes with my overall theory that resolutions are better spent enhancing habits rather than fighting vices, but that’s a rant for another day.)

I can’t imagine a better way to brighten the next year by taking weekend days I would’ve ordinarily spent on the couch and instead spend them strolling around museum corridors. No navigating unfamiliar subway systems, no getting lost in the park, no hordes of tourists — just a nice time close to home.

By the way: If you just have one day to fill in New York, the Museum of Modern Art is the better bet. And much more logically laid out. The Met is a lot of good things, but it’s also a labyrinth.